Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 2954: Chapter 2955: Earl of Black Tea

”My first question is...” Angel fixed his gaze on the rabbit Cha Cha, who put on a look of intense concentration, as if seriously listening.

But Angel’s words took a turn halfway through: ”I actually haven’t thought of one yet.”

Rabbit Cha Cha staggered; if it hadn’t been sitting, it would probably have fallen flat on the ground.

Taking a deep breath, Rabbit Cha Cha said, ”You’re not messing with me, are you? If you keep this up, I’m going back.”

Angel: ”Nothing like that, let me think... Could you talk a bit about this Forest? Just say whatever comes to mind. Can that count as my first question?”

Rabbit Cha Cha crossed its arms, cheeks puffed up in anger: ”When I said three questions, I meant clear, specific questions. What you’re doing counts as cheating.”

Angel also knew he was broadening the question way too much, but he could only grit his teeth and push on. This was, after all, an Alchemy Omen—if he couldn’t find a way out, there was a high chance he’d be lost here forever.

”I’ll make the rest of my questions very specific... As for this one, can you answer it?” Angel folded his hands in a pleading gesture, even his eyes full of playful drama.

Rabbit Cha Cha had intended to refuse outright, but the faint sense of closeness it felt toward Angel swayed it. After hesitating for a moment, it finally said, a bit unsure, ”Just this once, okay? Next time, no way.”

Angel: ”I promise, there definitely won’t be a next time.”

Angel thought to himself that since he had fallen into this Forest, the key to resolving the Anomaly had to be inside it. As long as he could find something off from Rabbit Cha Cha’s story and then ask targeted questions, he should be able to get out of this Alchemy Omen.

Angel’s plan sounded great in his head, but reality might not quite match his expectations...

After pondering his wording for a bit, Rabbit Cha Cha began slowly telling the story of this Forest: ”Since you managed to find this place, you should know that this Forest is called Black Tea Forest.”

Angel really wanted to fire off a triple denial, but after thinking it over, he let it go. Letting Cha Cha think he was someone who had accidentally stumbled into Teapot Country might make it easier to break the ice.

If he really explained the whole Alchemy Omen thing, who knew whether Rabbit Cha Cha would still be willing to talk to him.

Rabbit Cha Cha continued its tale, starting with the history of Black Tea Forest.

Black Tea Forest didn’t exist from the very beginning; this place was originally a garden blessed by the Empress.

”The Empress? The Empress of Teapot Country?” Angel asked in a low voice.

Rabbit Cha Cha looked at Angel like he was a country bumpkin: ”As expected of the ignorant. Of course the Her Majesty I mentioned is the Empress of Teapot Country.”

Angel: ”And her name is?”

Rabbit Cha Cha: ”I don’t know that either. And even if I did, I wouldn’t dare say it. But all of us address Her Majesty as the Teapot Empress.”

The Teapot Empress... that name was pretty down-to-earth.

That said, in the story ”Louis’ Hat” he’d heard from Feng, there had never been any mention of an Empress. And yet this Anomaly had an Empress built into the setting? Chances were even Feng didn’t know she existed... So this was like a lore expansion?

”Then this Teapot Empress, she...”

Angel was just about to keep asking about the Teapot Empress when Rabbit Cha Cha cut him off.

”If you keep asking unrelated questions, I’m going to revoke your remaining two questions.” Rabbit Cha Cha narrowed its eyes at Angel. ”Or are you planning to use those two remaining questions to ask about Her Majesty?”

Angel hurriedly waved his hands, knowing he was in the wrong, then proactively pressed his lips together to show he’d stop talking.

Rabbit Cha Cha snorted coldly and went on with the Forest’s past.

Back then, this was a garden blessed by the Teapot Empress, bestowed upon her sixth daughter—Princess White Tea.

This garden held countless rare curiosities, all sorts of brilliantly colored flowers, and, furthermore, the finest of Teapot Country’s four tea-brewing springs: the Fountain of Youth.

When he heard ”Fountain of Youth,” Angel’s eyes suddenly lit up. It wasn’t greed; he simply felt he’d just hit a highlight. This Fountain of Youth might very well be the core of this Anomaly!

”For Princess White Tea, what made her was also the Fountain of Youth, but what brought her downfall was likewise the Fountain of Youth.” Rabbit Cha Cha sighed. ”Not long after the Empress bestowed this garden upon Princess White Tea, she disappeared into the depths of The Palace. According to the ministers in The Palace, the Empress was recuperating in the depths, but whether that’s true, no one knows.”

”At first, Teapot Country was able to maintain a façade of stability under the lingering prestige of the Empress. But as the various Nobility tested the waters and discovered that no matter what they did, the Empress never appeared, Teapot Country began to fall into chaos.”

”Naturally, Princess White Tea’s Fountain of Youth also caught people’s attention. In the beginning, Princess White Tea could still rely on her own abilities to repel the covetous eyes of outsiders, but later, as more and more factions—and all the major powers—set their sights on this place, she found it increasingly hard to cope.”

Princess White Tea had thought about taking the Fountain of Youth and leaving, but with so many factions watching, it was almost impossible for her to vanish without a sound.

While Princess White Tea was still racking her brains for a way to cover her tracks, a new crisis appeared.

The youngest Earl in Teapot Country—the Earl of Black Tea—made his move.

He didn’t confront Princess White Tea head-on. Instead, he used some shady, under-the-table tricks to seize the lands around the garden and built a castle nearby.

He knew perfectly well that Princess White Tea couldn’t take the Fountain of Youth away at this time. So he simply took advantage of his proximity, came right next to the Fountain of Youth to secure the geographical upper hand, and casually enjoyed the effects of the Fountain of Youth.

Princess White Tea was now in a dilemma.

If she took the Fountain of Youth away, the Earl of Black Tea, relying on his advantage of location, would rapidly consolidate his forces against her and seize the Fountain of Youth. But if she didn’t take it, the Earl of Black Tea could still reap the benefits of the Fountain thanks to his geographical advantage.

In this situation, Princess White Tea made a move that shocked every faction in Teapot Country.

She... destroyed the Fountain of Youth.

She poured the foulest filth into it, merging it into the Fountain of Youth and ruining its purity.

She brought the fiercest burning sun down upon it, drying the Fountain of Youth completely, so that even if others wanted to purify it again, they couldn’t.

The Fountain of Youth was polluted and then evaporated into the air, which not only destroyed the garden filled with rare treasures, but also turned the garden into a stretch of Deathly Stillness.

Princess White Tea’s method was extreme, but it did allow her to safely retreat, while leaving a complete mess for the Earl of Black Tea.

And to this day, the Earl of Black Tea is still thinking about the Restoration of the Fountain of Youth.

He planted trees in the tainted land, and turned the garden into Black Tea Forest, hoping to use the trees to achieve Purification of the earth, and then Capture the Fountain of Youth lingering within it.

But the final result... was almost nothing.

Instead, it created this strange Forest.

The Fountain of Youth’s effects also mutated within this Forest, forming a curse: as long as you move here, you will keep getting smaller.

This is the history of Black Tea Forest, and also the reason why it can shrink people.

After finishing the history of Black Tea Forest, Rabbit Cha Cha went on to share some anecdotes related to it, but even after listening, Angel still didn’t notice anything obviously out of place.

The only thing that made him feel something was ”off” was still the ”Fountain of Youth” in the Black Tea Forest.

Could it be that this Anomaly of his, this time, was actually about saving or resurrecting the Fountain of Youth?

”Is there a way to bring the Fountain of Youth back to life?” Angel hesitated for a moment, but still asked.

Rabbit Cha Cha: ”Is this your second question?”

Angel really wanted to say ”no”, but after listening to the story of the Black Tea Forest, the only thing he found strange was the Fountain of Youth. He couldn’t possibly blur the focus and broaden the scope on purpose like he did with his first question, so after careful consideration, Angel still nodded.

”Yes, my second question is: is there a way to resurrect or save the Fountain of Youth?”

Rabbit Cha Cha: ”There is.”

Angel’s eyes lit up: ”Really?”

Rabbit Cha Cha: ”It’s true, but even the Black Tea Earl couldn’t manage it. You actually want to try?”

Angel: ”Just tell me first. Maybe I can think of a way to solve it.”

Rabbit Cha Cha let out a cold snort: ”You? I don’t buy it. But since you’ve asked, I can tell you. The Fountain of Youth may be one of the four finest tea-brewing springs in Teapot Country, but the Fountain of Youth here is just a rootless duckweed. The true source of the Fountain of Youth is in the Empress’ hands.”

”As long as you find the Empress and ask her to bestow some of the source upon you, then use the power of the source to wash away the pollution of the Black Tea Forest, you can let the rootless duckweed condense again.”

”Can you do that?”

Angel: ...Aren’t you just talking nonsense.

”Is there no other way?” Angel couldn’t help but ask another question.

Rabbit Cha Cha shook his head: ”Anyway, this is the only method I know of.”

Angel believed there had to be other ways. As long as he had time to analyze the Fountain of Youth, he would be able to find a method. But right now, he didn’t have any tools on hand to extract the Fountain’s aura, his Mind Space was sealed as well, there was simply no way to find a new method.

So... what should he do now?

Was he going to be stuck inside this Anomaly just like that?

”Alright, I’ve already answered your first two questions. Hurry up and ask the third one, once you’re done I still have to go back and sleep.” Rabbit Cha Cha urged.

Angel pondered for a while, then asked: ”Can you tell me if there’s been anything unusual lately, or any strange or significant events that happened?”

Rabbit Cha Cha glared and snapped: ”You’re asking the same kind of thing as your first question again, that totally breaks the rules. Ask again, ask again!”

Looking at Rabbit Cha Cha’s indignant expression, Angel fell silent for a moment, then said softly in a sorrowful tone: ”My coming here was an accident. Right now, the only thing on my mind is leaving this place. But in order to leave, I have to find the source of that accident. From what I’ve gathered, the source should be somewhere nearby, but I can’t be sure what exactly it is...”

Rabbit Cha Cha didn’t know if Angel was truly sad or just putting on an act. But hearing that sorrowful tone, it also felt a bit down in its heart.

Perhaps it was because, in its dreams, it and this human were good friends?

Whatever the reason, after thinking for a moment, Rabbit Cha Cha still opened its mouth and said: ”If it’s about leaving Teapot Country, I can help you think of a way...”

Angel shook his head: ”No, I have to find the source that pulled me in here and deal with it before I can leave. Otherwise, I might be dragged back here again.”

Angel kept his head lowered as he spoke, since he had lied again and felt a bit guilty.

Rabbit Cha Cha, however, thought Angel was ”lowering his head in tears” because of sadness, and didn’t question it. Instead, it followed along with Angel’s story and started pondering over this so-called ”source” Angel mentioned.

After a moment, Rabbit Cha Cha hesitated, then said: ”If we’re talking about unusual events, there aren’t any. The only unusual thing is you showing up.”

Angel: ”There’s really nothing else? Is this Forest really that monotonous?”

Rabbit Cha Cha thought again, then still shook his head: ”I can’t think of anything unusual.”

Angel felt a bit anxious. After all, with this Anomaly, he hadn’t even found a source yet. He mulled it over again and again, then asked: ”Then think again... is there anything related to black hats, or to mirrors?”

”Black hats? Mirrors?” Rabbit Cha Cha pondered for a bit: ”Is there anything special about black hats? I don’t know. Anyway, I have a black hat too, but I didn’t buy it recently... As for mirrors, I have one as well, but that’s not a recent purchase either...”

Rabbit Cha Cha muttered for a long while, then suddenly thought of something: ”Right, speaking of mirrors, I remember that right before I came back just now, I heard Julie outside saying that the Black Tea Earl seems to have just brought back a mirror from outside.”

Angel: ”You’re saying you just heard that?”

Rabbit Cha Cha nodded: ”Yeah, I just came back from outside, passed by the Black Tea Earl’s territory, had a little chat with Julie, and she told me about this.”

It paused for a moment, then Rabbit Cha Cha looked at Angel with a resentful expression: ”I’d just come back and was about to rest, when you showed up.”

Angel pulled an embarrassed face and offered an apology.

Rabbit Cha Cha waved its hand: ”Forget it, we’ve met after all. I’ll just treat this as doing you a favor.”

Angel thanked it again, then immediately asked: ”Can you talk about the mirror the Black Tea Earl got? What exactly does it look like?”

After he finished asking, Angel added: ”I entered this place because of a mirror. So I suspect that mirror is the source.”

Rabbit Cha Cha’s expression turned strange: ”The mirror is the source? Normally when people accidentally wander into Teapot Country, the source is a teapot...”

Angel: ”I might be a bit different.”

Rabbit Cha Cha: ”Whatever. I don’t really know the specifics about that mirror either, it’s just something Julie mentioned in passing. It seems to be a Half-length Mirror.”

A Half-length Mirror?! Angel suddenly felt a surge of excitement in his heart.

The thing he refined this time was precisely a Half-length Mirror! Could it be that the mirror the Black Tea Earl brought back from outside was the Half-length Mirror he refined?

But that didn’t quite make sense. The Half-length Mirror was in reality, and this place was an Anomaly. The Half-length Mirror shouldn’t be appearing here.

Angel thought it over carefully, but still couldn’t figure it out, so he simply stopped thinking about it. An Anomaly was just like an Illusionary Realm; anything could pop up in here...

Rabbit Cha Cha also noticed the sudden excitement in Angel’s expression: ”You think this mirror is the source?”

Angel nodded.

Rabbit Cha Cha: ”But I don’t know much about this mirror. I only know the Black Tea Earl often brings back collectibles from outside, and this mirror might just be his latest piece... Hmm, how about you go ask Julie?”

Angel: ”Julie is...”

Rabbit Cha Cha: ”A good friend of mine, and also the Black Tea Earl’s mount.”